The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday urged the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Gwarimpa, Abuja, to reject a bail application by former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.
The commission cited his alleged breach of administrative bail conditions.
Ngige was arraigned before Justice M.A. Hassan on December 15, 2025, on an eight-count charge bordering on contract fraud and alleged acceptance of gifts totaling N2.26 billion.
Arguing against bail, EFCC prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, told the court that Ngige failed to return his international passport after being permitted by the Commission to travel abroad for medical reasons.
Tahir said the defendant had undertaken to return the passport by November 19, 2025, but defaulted until he was eventually arrested.
The prosecution questioned Ngige’s claim that the passport was lost abroad, noting that he returned to Nigeria to depose an affidavit of loss instead of obtaining a police report or affidavit in the United Kingdom where the loss allegedly occurred.
“What does the Nigerian police know about the loss of a passport in the UK?” Tahir queried.
He maintained that Ngige was in “gross breach” of the administrative bail granted by the EFCC and had violated Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
He, therefore, urged the court to exercise “extreme caution,” refuse the bail application, and order an accelerated trial.
In response, defence counsel, Patrick Ikweato, SAN, appealed to the court to grant Ngige bail, saying the application was properly supported by affidavits and court processes.
Justice Hassan adjourned the case to Thursday, December 18, 2025, for ruling on the bail application.
